Everton’s chances of hanging on to Marouane Fellaini have been significantly enhanced after he denied having an escape agreement in his contract.

It was widely believed the inspirational midfielder could be bought for £22million and that Chelsea and Arsenal were ready to lead the chase to trigger the supposed clause at the end of the season.

But Fellaini insisted there was no fixed amount written into his Goodison Park agreement and gave Everton a further boost, ahead of their Old Trafford showdown with leaders Manchester United, by hinting that a Champions League place would be enough to banish any thoughts of leaving.

Pointing the way: Fellaini has spearheaded Everton's Champions League push

Speaking after sitting out Belgium’s game with Slovakia, with a hip injury that threatens his involvement on Sunday, the 25-year old admitted there were ‘all sorts’ of clauses in a contract that runs until the summer of 2016.

The main one is believed to involve a willingness by Everton to enter into talks with any Champions League club making an approach for him, though crucially it now seems they do not have to accept an amount that is generally regarded as being well below his market value.

In a revealing insight into how he sees his future, Everton’s £15million signing from Standard Liege made no secret of knowing all about Chelsea’s long-running interest and bluntly told them to match it with deeds or back off. Everton are even more concerned about Arsenal’s intentions, with Arsene Wenger earmarking Fellaini’s physical presence as the missing link in midfield, but both clubs could miss out, if David Moyes’ side secure a top-four finish.

‘I have heard about Chelsea monitoring me, but I have never spoken with them,’ Fellaini told Belgian media outlet sportwereld.be. ‘Throughout my time at Everton, there has been word on the grapevine of interest from some of England’s top teams, but I have never personally sat round the table with any of them.

On the radar: Fellaini is wanted by Chelsea

‘If Chelsea want me, they need to come up with something, but they have not done so far. For now, I am very happy with Everton. We are fifth, and if we can climb just one more place, and stay there, we can look forward to playing in the Champions’ League. Would that make me stay? Maybe yes, because Everton are the team who brought me to England. I have a very good relationship with the manager and my team-mates, and the club are like my family.

‘People are talking about Chelsea as if I have already signed, but I am an Everton player, and maybe I will finish the three years left on my contract. If I do end up leaving, it would be up to the club to decide on the price. I have all sorts of clauses in my contract, but there is no fixed fee for releasing me.

‘The Premier League is the best in the world, but I don’t have a dream team I want to go to. If I do leave Everton, it would be to a club who really want me and a manager who has really good plans for me. People seem to think that Eden Hazard’s presence at Chelsea might tip it their way. He is a very good friend, but so too are Mousa Dembele and Christian Benteke, so that wouldn’t influence anything.’

Candid: Fellaini spoke openly about his future at Goodison Park

Fellaini was pilloried for spending Sunday night, and the early hours of Monday morning, at trendy nightspot Carre, midway between Brussels and Antwerp, after flying to Belgium in the wake of Everton’s 3-3 draw with Aston Villa.

There were no complaints from Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, after Fellaini reported in on time at 2pm that afternoon, and the player himself could not understand all the fuss, as he said: ‘I scored twice against Villa in what was a very tough game, so just tell me something. If you have a particularly hectic week in the office, wouldn’t you go out at the end of it and unwind a bit? It is just the same in football, and I’m not the only one to have gone out after a hard match.

‘I comply with all my responsibilities as a professional footballer, so in my private life and free time, I do what I want. In England, I don’t go out all that much. The games are so physically demanding that I need a lot of rest, and there is also the problem of people wanting to come up and speak to you all the time.

High hopes: Fellaini was spotted having a night out on the town after the draw against Villa

‘At least I am not as famous or popular as Wayne Rooney, but I have got a hairstyle that stands out. That, plus the fact I have been at Everton five years now, means I do tend to get spotted in the street these days.’

Fellaini admitted his hopes of facing United are in the balance, after missing the Slovakia game with a hip injury he picked up against Villa.

‘It still hurts, and it was impossible for me to play against Slovakia,’ he said. ‘My health is the most important thing, but if I can make it, I certainly will, because I love playing against United. I scored in a 1-0 win against them at Goodison on the opening weekend of the season, and it was a little bit my match. I couldn’t have done it without my team-mates, though, and I hope to be out there with them again on Sunday. We will just have to wait and see.’